Can cover inserting device



Patented July I4, 1953 CAN COVER INSERTING DEVICE Harry D; Lathrop, Chicago, Ill., assi'gnor to The.

Lathrop-Paulson Com poration of Illinois Application February 28, 1950, `Serial No. 146,794

l, This invention relates to a can and cover treating machine. The invention is particularly useful in the treatingl of milk cans and their covers and' in connection 4with a can washing machine.`

Because of the shortage of space and irregular contours in dairy buildings, there has long been a need for a machine which could be placed" within a small space while at the same time washing cans in substantial volume. The attempts to solve this problem, while using the highly efcient straightaway type of machine, have failed and one reason has been the necessity for employing a cradle to turn the can to upright position after passage through the machine so that the cover may then be placed upon the can. The upending operation performed by the cradle extends the machine very substantially at the discharge end and at the same time requires an extended cover track for bringing the cover onto the can at a` point beyond the cradle. Further, there is need for hammer or striker mechanism to strike the cover after it is upon the can so as to seat it firmly within the can.

An object of the present invention is to provide mechanism for seating the can upon the cover immediately after the passage of these two parts through the machine and thus enabling the can to be laterally discharged by a cradle, thus effecting great saving in the length of the machine. Yet another object is to utilize the weight of the can in a vertical fall upon the cover so as to seat the can firmly on the cover and Without theA use of striking or hammer mechanism. A still further object is to provide means for directingcan covers of different sizes into a position forward of and below the can so that the can may be caused to fall upon the cover neck, the bell-shaped mouth of the can providing a means for centering the can upon the cover. A further object is to provide timed mechanism for releasing thecan cover and guiding it to a position ahead of and belowk its respective can while at the same time supporting the can against tilting until it can be rdischarged so as to fall in substantially a vertical path onto the neck ofthe cover. A further object is to provide in a can washing machine means for feeding the can and cover through in a stepby-step movement, with the cover slightly ahead of the can for discharging the cover so asV to move it into a position ahead of and below the can,

while at the same time providing intermittentlydriven cradle means for removing the can after it is firmly seated upon the cover neckV and upendf ing t,whi1e also providing means for moving; the upended can away. Other specific objects and 3 Claims.` (Cl. 22R- 92) advantages will appear as the specication proceeds.

The invention is illustrated in a single embooli` ment, by the accompanying drawings, in which* Fig. 1 is a broken end view` in elevation of `ap- In the illustration given, Ifshow only a portion of the machine at the discharge end because the invention herein described is clearly7 shown in this portion of the machine. I I I The straightaway can washing machine as a Wholemay be of' any suitable type or construction. For example, such a machine may be of the type shown in my Patent No. 1,803,267 or No. 1,770,931. Itis sufiicient for the purposes of the present invention to point out that in such a machine, the can is advanced upon tracks` with the mouth of the can resting upon the tracks while the cover is advanced preferably alongside the can, reciprocating bars and dogs being used to advance these parts in unison and in step-by-step relation,

water and washing solutions being discharged into and on the can and against the cover so as to produce a washing of these parts.

In the specic illustration given, I0 designates a main frame supporting track members II upon which the mouth of the can I2 rests. A reciprocating bar I 3 is equipped with a series of pivoted clogs I4 for advancing the can. Similarly, a cover track I5 is provided with notches I5 therein at spaced intervals for holding the cover stationary at the washing stations. The forward end of the track I5 is inclined so as to cause the cover' toY slide forwardly were it not for a stop which will be later described. If desired, a small platform I6a may be provided as a rest for the rim of the can cover, as shown best in Fig. 3. A reciprocating bar I1 is equipped with pivoted dogs I8 for advancing the cover so that it rolls upon its neck I9. Guide means are provided for holding the cover so as to cause it to roll upon its neck I9 along track I5. Since this is all `well--known mechanism, a further description is' believed un`= necessary.

In thecovering supporting track I 5, I prefer to have the notches I 6 advanced about one-half the distance between stations so that the cover is always approximately oneehalf step ahead of, the can. While this is not necessary. I preferI the arrangement because it is more convenient in later discharging the coverv ahead of the can and to port 2o.

neck of the cover and for this purpose I provide,

as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, a can mouth sup- This mouth-supporting platform is relatively narrow but supports the can mouth against tilting and so that, when the final movement of the dog I4 pushes the can forward, it.

is free to fall in a true vertical path upon the neck I3 of the cover below. The beveled or bell mouth 2l of the can l2 is then effective in guiding the can firmly upon the neck I9 so that the full weight of the can is then effective in lodging it firmly onto the cover neck.

In order to guide the can cover into a position in front of and below the can and with the neck i9 extending upwardly, I provide a curved guide track 22, as shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, and this track causes the cover to slide upon its top and with the neck I9 thereof extending upwardly, the cover coming to rest in the position rshown best in Fig. 1.

Since can covers are of varying sizes, and since it is important that the can cover be held reasonably close to the discharge end of the can conveyor, I prefer to equip the frame at a point at the rear of the platform 23 which receives the cover with a resiliently supported shoe 24, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. The shoe is supported upon a tube 2,5 slidably mounted on a fixed pin 26 about which is coiled a compression spring 21. Connected to the tube is a collar 23 secured to an arm 29 pivotally mounted at 3i? to the frame l0. The shoe 24V thus urges a small can cover `toward the discharge `end of the can track while at the same time it yields to enable a larger cover to be received upon the cover support 23.

To remove the can after it has been seated upon the cover, I prefer a cradle 3| mounted upon shaft 32. Drive means are employed for giving the cradle an intermittent action and such means will be described hereinafter. The cradle may be of any suitable construction. In the lspecific structure shown, there is a cradle body 33 secured upon tubular members 34 on either side of the shaft 32, and at each end of the cradle, spaced feet 35 extend outwardly. The feet 35 at one end of the cradle extend in one direction while the feet 35 at the other end of the cradleV extend in the opposite direction. Thus inthe rotation of the cradle always in the same direction, the feet at each end are in position to engage the bottom of the cover and thus to upend the can, as illustrated best in Fig. 1. Since thercradle is of well-known construction, a further detailed description is believed unnecessary.

Any suitable means for rotating the cradle and for operating the other parts may be employed and the structure shown for this purpose is merely illustrative. In the illustration given, a shaft 36 is rotatably mounted in the frame l@ and is equipped with a gear driven by the chain 31. The chain in turn is driven by a gear carried by a shaft connected to reduction gears mounted on the base 38, and the reduction gears are driven through apulley 39 which in turn is driven by pulley 40 mounted upon the shaft of motor 4i.

Mounted upon shaft 36 is a segmental gear 42, the teeth on the gear 42 being out away along substantially one-half of its periphery. The teeth of gear 42 are arranged for engagement with the teeth of gear 43 thereabove. Mounted upon the through chain 48 a shaft 49, the chain 48 engaging a sprocket 50 carried by shaft 49. As shown more clearly in Fig. 2, a bevel gear 5i carried by shaft 49 engages a bevel gear 52 mounted upon the cradle shaft 32. By the means described, the cradle shaft'is thus rotated intermittently and during the period when the teeth of the segmental Vgear 42 are in mesh with the teeth of the gear 43.

It is important that the can cover be checked in its forward travel and then released at the right time so as to slide downwardly along channel 22 and into position in front of the can just before the can is discharged. The can cover stop and releasing mechanism is shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. As shown in Fig. l, a lever 53 is equipped with a laterally-extending arm 54 engaging the lower portion of the neck i8 of the can cover. The lower end of the lever 53 is fixed to a lever 55 pivotally supported upon the frame by the pivot pin 56. The outer end of the lever is connected to a slidably-mounted plunger 51, the upper end of the plunger 51 being in contact with a diamond-shaped cam 58 mounted on shaft 32. Thus, when the Shaft 32 is rotated, the pointed ends of cam 58 depress the plunger 51 and cause the lever stop 54 to be restricted and thus to release the can cover.

Any Suitable means may be provided for removing the can after it has been upended by the cradle. ForY example, a continuous chain or belt conveyor may be employed for carrying away the can, or means may be provided for moving the can laterally onto a separate conveyor. In the specific illustration given, I have equipped the gear 42 with a pin 59 which is adapted to be brought into engagement with a lever 5d pivotally mounted upon strap 6| of frame lil. The lever 60 is pivotally mounted to rod 62, and rod 62 is in turn pivotally mounted at its top to the short arm 63 of bell crank 64. The bell crank 154V is pivotally mounted upon pin 55 to the upper portion of frame IU. The long arm S6 of the bell crank extends downwardly to a point over the discharge'end of the cradle and is effective for moving the can laterally from the cradle and onto a second conveyor (not shown).

Operation In the operation of the machine, cans are placed upon the can track Il by the operator at the intake part of the machine with the bellshaped mouth of the can I2 resting upon the track. At the same time, the can cover is placed upon the track l5 with the neck i9 of the can resting upon the track and preferably at a stationv one-half step ahead of the can. The two parts then go through the washing machine in the usual manner, being thoroughly washed therein,l

cover extending upwardly in front of and below the can.

The can is supported against tilting by the track l I up to the point illustrated in Fig. 3 where it is ready to be discharged for a vertical fall upon the cover therebelow. As the can falls in a vertical line, the beveled mouth 2| of the'can strikes the neck I9 of the cover and centers the can upon the cover. The vertical fall utilizes the full weight of the can for seating it rmly upon the can neck. In timed relation, the cradle picks up the cover which is now seated upon the can, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and this movement further strengthens the grip of the can upon the cover neck. Finally, the falling of the upended canV contributes further in seating` the cover firmly in the can mouth. The upended can is moved laterally by the bell crank arm 66 onto a conveyor which carries it away. If desired, a conveyor may be provided for carrying the can away in a path aligned with the cradle. Thus, removal of the can may be effected in the direction which is best adapted for the needs of the particular dairy plant.

v From the foregoing description it will be clear that the securing of the cover upon the can is accomplished in the shortest possible space, namely, a space eclualing the diameter of the can beyond the end of its track, and the upending of the can with the cover thereon is accomplished also within this lineal space. By the means of this structure, an extremely compact washing machine or can treating machine is made possible while utilizing the advantages of a straightaway type of can washing machine. Further, the striking of the can cover with a hammer or other means to seat it upon the can is dispensed with and the full weight of the can vitself is utilized in bringing about such seating, with the blow resulting therefrom being distributed over the full width of the cover top.

While in the foregoing specication I have set out certain structural parts in considerable detail, it'will be understood that such details of structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In can and can cover treating apparatus in which the can is advanced upon a track with the bell-shaped mouth of the can resting upon the track and in which the can cover is advanced with its neck rolling upon a separate track and slightly in advance of the can, means for checking the movement of the cover near the discharge :end of the apparatus, a platform below the end of the can track, a guide for directing the cover to a position upon said platform with the neck thereof extending upwardly in front of and below said track, a spring-urged shoe adapted to urge said can cover towards said track, means for pushing a can off the end of said track so that itY falls in a vertical path upon the neck of said cover, and a cradle rotatably mounted at the end of said track and having feet extending on opinosite sides ofsaid platform for lifting the inverted can and cover and uprighting the same.

2. In can and can cover treating apparatus, a can track and a cover track, means for intermittently advancing the can with its mouth resting upon said track, means for advancing the can cover intermittently and in advance of the can, a platform supported below the forward end of said track, guide means for directing the can to a position upon said platform with the neck thereof extending upwardly in front of and below the forward end of said track, a yieldable springurged shoe mounted adjacent said platform and arranged to accommodate covers of varying sizes on said platform while urging said covers toward the forward end of said track, means for pushing a can off the forward end of said track and onto said cover neck, and a rotatably mounted cradle equipped at opposite ends with spaced feet adapted to straddle said platform when rotating in a plane at right angles to said can track, said i cradle upon rotation raising the can and its cover and discharging them in upright position in a path extending laterally from said can track.

3. In milk can and cover treating apparatus.

in which the can is advanced in aV verticallyupright position upon a horizontal track with the bell-shaped mouth of the can resting upon the track and in which the cover is advanced separately, a horizontal platform disposed below the end of said track, means for directing the cover upon said platform with the cover neck extending vertically upward, means for pushing said can beyond the end of said track with said can remaining in a vertically-upright position so that it falls in a vertical path Vonto said cover neck with the central axis of said can remaining' vertically-upright during said fall, the space above said platform and adjacent the end of said track being open and unobstructed so that said can falls without being deflected from said vertical path, and cradle means adapted to be positioned with its body outside of the vertical path of said can and having feet adapted at the same time to straddle said platform and the cover thereon for raising the can and cover therefrom to upright the same after said can has fallen onto said cover.

HARRY D. LATHROP,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sperazz July 4, 1933 

